New Jersey player rescues forgotten $5.9 million jackpot ticket with just days left
TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey lottery player came within days of losing a $5.9 million jackpot forever before discovering the winning ticket crumpled inside an old pair of pants tucked away in his closet.
The Pick-6 ticket, purchased May 22, 2025 at Eisenhower Exxon in Roseland, was just eight days from expiration when the winner finally arrived at New Jersey Lottery headquarters to claim the life-changing prize.
Lottery officials said concern over the unclaimed jackpot intensified in late April when public announcements warned the ticket was close to expiring.
The winner, described as a regular customer at the Roseland gas station, decided to speak with employees at the store after hearing about the missing ticket.
Store workers reportedly told him only a small number of regular customers regularly played Pick-6 and encouraged him to search his home again.
The player returned home and began checking every possible location where the ticket could have been misplaced.
Lottery officials said the search eventually led him to his closet, where he started digging through old pants pockets.
After checking several pairs, he finally located a crumpled Pick-6 ticket from May 2025 hidden inside one of the pockets.
The player then confirmed the ticket matched the $5.9 million winning numbers before immediately heading to lottery headquarters on May 14.
Officials said the ticket would have expired May 22 if left unclaimed.
The New Jersey Lottery reminded players to routinely check tickets, noting that while large jackpots rarely go unclaimed, many smaller winning tickets are forgotten in drawers, wallets and clothing for months or even years.
Officials said tickets can be scanned at lottery retailers, through the New Jersey Lottery app or manually entered online using the state’s ticket checker system.
Key Points
• A New Jersey man found a forgotten $5.9 million Pick-6 ticket in an old pants pocket
• The winning ticket was discovered just eight days before expiration
• The ticket was originally purchased at Eisenhower Exxon in Roseland
